This is a very good answer given by Ajahn Jayasaro at a youth retreat recently.He says that merely being a 'law-abiding citizen' and member of the mainstream society is not very satisfactory. He himself did not consider this as a good option when he was a young man, he was looking for something more than that as a purpose in life. People who appear 'normal' and well-behaved in the usual circumstances can behave in very unskillful and harmful ways in a different context, because their moral qualities are only superficial and have not been thoroughly developed. Examples from the 20th century show this clearly. Then he describes the modern research findings about the effect of meditation on the function and structure of the brain.

Thanks for linking to this talk, Venerable.I thought he was very blunt about how superficial society and people are, his honesty was refreshing, yet at some points I felt he was a little condescending towards the person who asked the question. I could have a mistaken impression though. Anyway it was well worth the listen and thank you again for sharing.With metta, Jackson

"The heart of the path is quite easy. There’s no need to explain anything at length. Let go of love and hate and let things be. That’s all that I do in my own practice." - Ajahn Chah

---The trouble is that you think you have time------Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe------It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---

By the way, it can happen that it would be an interesting modern thai trend - to hear Dhamma in english ,)(And I think this is more useful for thais to learn Dhamma in english rather than in thai - because it this case they will put extra effort to understand what is being said).

Ajahn Jayasaro (in English):How to overcome bad habits such as laziness: making a firm resolution to change, writing it down longhand, telling other people about it, have measurable goals to achieve in a certain period of time. How to respond to people who treat you badly when you have only treated them with kindness: some people might be jealous or pretend something. Good people who are determined to stick to their principles and maintain honesty and self-respect in their dealings with others will often meet with anger and ill-will. But we cannot expect to be rewarded for being good. Thai culture is not a revenge culture like Chinese or Western society regarding punishment. Fear of punishment is not a good deterrent from crime. Question of ethics in times of chaos or war. People without spiritual training are very unreliable because of mental defilements. Why do Pali chanting without translations? It should not become an empty ritual.Should we believe in supernatural phenomena? There is a lot of projection onto famous monks and some people expect them to tell lottery numbers. Story about Ajahn Chah reading the mind of a Western monk and also reading people's behaviour. Finding the right balance between different goals: spiritual, work, family, etc. Not becoming lost in fame and career. What's so great about being famous for 5 minutes? A 'celebrity' is famous for being famous. Having money is just a support for our life, not a measure of who you are.